Fulham climbed to eighth in the Barclays Premier League with a 3-0 win over Middlesbrough at Craven Cottage.

Goals from Jimmy Bullard, Danny Murphy (penalty) and Clint Dempsey ensured the Cottagers stretched their unbeaten run to seven matches.

It left Middlesbrough without a win in six matches and continuing to flirt with the edges of the relegation zone.

Fulham started brightly but it was the visitors who enjoyed the first effort on goal.

Tuncay tried his luck from 25 yards with a shot that went straight into the arms of former Middlesbrough stalwart Mark Schwarzer.

A neat run down the right flank by Adam Johnson should have brought Middlesbrough more reward in the 15th minute but the winger failed to deliver a cross into the penalty area.

Fulham should have taken the lead shortly afterwards but John Pantsil headed Danny Murphy's flag kick wide of the target from six yards.

Julio Arca almost put through his own goal in the 21st minute when he cleared the ball off the toes of Simon Davies but fortunately for Middlesbrough it went just wide of an upright.

In the 23rd minute, Tuncay was guilty of a glaring miss for Middlesbrough as he sent a free header flashing wide of the far post from 10 yards.

In the 26th minute Murphy found Andrew Johnson inside the Middlesbrough penalty area but the Fulham striker took too long to make a decision and the chance was lost.

Fulham's Johnson squandered another chance on the half-hour when Pantsil's ball put him in the clear but Turnbull reacted fast enough to deny the striker with a fine save.

Fulham lost Zoltan Gera moments later through injury and he was replaced by Bobby Zamora.

But Middlesbrough were still dangerous and it needed a double save from Schwarzer to deny both Jeremie Aliadiere and Adam Johnson.

Davies was inches wide with a curling effort in the 34th minute after referee Keith Stroud had waved away penalty appeals for handball against McMahon.

Fulham got the breakthrough they deserved when Pantsil's cross eluded Andrew Johnson but not Zamora on the edge of the six-yard box.

The Fulham substitute's shot on the turn was superbly saved by Turnbull but the fleet-footed Bullard nipped in to the fire the loose ball into the net.

Arca was removed at the interval in favour of striker Mido as Middlesbrough looked to get themselves back into the match.

Tuncay wasted a chance to equalise in the 50th minute when Aliadiere headed the ball back to him inside the penalty area.

However, the Middlesbrough midfielder miscued his shot and it bounced into Schwarzer's hands.

In the 54th minute Fulham were awarded a penalty for handball against McMahon. Murphy stepped up to score from the spot.

Clint Dempsey almost provided Andrew Johnson with a chance to make it three in the 58th minute but Turnbull rushed out to take the ball off the striker's feet.

But Dempsey made it three a minute later as Fulham tore Middlesbrough apart.

Johnson collected the ball on the left flank and fed the waiting Murphy who in turn sent Dempsey clear with a perfectly weighted pass.

The Fulham midfielder kept his cool to slot the ball beyond the advancing Turnbull and put the home side in a real festive mood.

Turnbull saved superbly to deny the impressive Johnson in the 81st minute after Zamora had put him clear.

Middlesbrough tried in vain to grab some kind of consolation but Fulham ran out comfortable winners.